China - December 04, 2024 Automechanika Shanghai opens with record number of exhibitors (Voice_over) From brakes to keys, at this show, you’ll find everything needed to produce a car. Chinese brake-maker Winhere has been attending the show since 2004. Now, it can produce one million brake pads every week, and is the largest company of its kind in the world. The company has been exporting its products all over the world. (Sound_bite) Jimmy Shum, Senior vice president, Sales and Marketing, Winhere: "Roughly say, 40 percent North America, 40 percent Europe. And rest of it, Asia Pacific and Middle East. So this will give us the chance to balance from the marketing standpoint.Now it’s almost end of the year. We are doing the budget for 2025. I would say double-digit increase." (Voice_over) Prospects are also positive for German auto parts maker Continental. It’s bringing new products which feature renewable materials and technology upgrades. The company says challenges do exist, but business has been pretty good in recent years. (Sound_bite) Enno Straten, Head, Global Automotive Aftermarket, Continental: "The competition is strong, the markets evolving very rapidly, but we have seen that the aftermarket remained very strong in the last years and we also predict that for the future because when end consumers think twice to purchase a new vehicle, they need to take care about the existing one and therefore they need premium products and services and that's where we benefit from." (Stand_up) Chen Tong, Reporter: "Economic slowdown and EU tariffs may affect the auto market, but here you cannot feel the sluggishness at all. As you can tell from the scene behind me, exhibitors and audiences are actively finding business partners." (Sound_bite) Stephan Buurma, Member of Board of Management, Messe Frankfurt Group: "I think competition in this sector and Chinese ability to manufacture electric cars at the highest level in the world will do basically the world benefit, not disadvantage, right? It's not only about, let's say, technological advantages from one continent to the other, it's also about the environment, global warming, and we definitely need China's contribution to that. And so I am carefully optimistic that the EU and China will find a way out of this impasse. " (Voice_over) This year’s Automechanika Shanghai marks the 20th anniversary of the show. With a record 6,700 of them present, exhibitors are showing unprecedented enthusiasm. [Restriction: No access Chinese mainland]